Freeman and Helman are among 57 hunters to stay in the home of Bob and Elaine Lowry during parts of the archery and firearm deer seasons this fall. The Lowrys own Warren County Whitetails, an outfitting business. They sell hunting packages to hunters, primarily from Pennsylvania, who want to shoot big, story-telling trophy bucks in parts of the 1,400 acres of western Illinois land they either own or lease from local landowners. They come here because the bucks are big. Illinois ranks No. 1 in non-typical-antlered record bucks and No. 2 in typical-antlered record bucks since Boone & Crockett Club began recording large whitetail deer in North America in 1830.

The retired Roseville High School teachers talk openly about the business, unlike some other outfitters who declined interviews. The teacher in them wants to teach others about alternative sources of income from the land, a topic that was part of Bob's classroom instruction.

They know some people don't like outfitters. They've read the bumper stickers, 'Save a buck, shoot an outfitter.' Opponents say outfitters are taking away the hunting privilege for local hunters who say they cannot afford the costs to pay to hunt through an outfitter or landowner or their financial priorities are elsewhere.

Still, hunting here has so much demand that Bob passes on business to other local outfitters or turns away customers.

Hunting vacationers
Vacationers pay for prettier beaches in Florida and breathtaking mountain views in Colorado. The chance to hunt for big deer in Illinois is no different to some avid hunters. Paying for the privilege to hunt deer in big deer country is a vacation.

'A lot of guys save up all their money to come out here,' Bob said. 'Statistics have shown west-central Illinois and parts of Canada have the largest whitetail deer body sizes.'

The caravan of hunting vacationers is apparent on Interstates 70 and 74 this time of year, the eastern U.S. hunters say.

'When you see five guys in a four-wheel drive heading west or east, you pretty much know what they're doing,' said Dewey Freeman, a 22-year hunter from Pennsylvania, who hunts at Warren County Whitetails.

Many traveling here have purchased hunting packages. The costs vary from $1,500 to around $4,000 for five- to nine-day deer hunts. The Lowrys charge $1,500 for five-day archery hunts and $2,500 for an eight-day hunt that includes archery deer hunting and one of the firearm deer hunting weekends.

Outfitting business Performance Outdoors, which owns the motel at the junction of Illinois 41 and 116 south of Abingdon, charges between $1,600, for a six-day, guided archery hunt, to just short of $4,000 for a guided nine-day archery and firearm hunt in five local counties, including Knox and Warren, according to its Web site.

Some have called it a rich man's sport. But the group of eight Pennsylvania men the Lowrys lodged and guided the week of Nov. 11 are lifelong hunters and seemingly average, blue-collar guys. They make this hunting trip a financial priority.

Dewey and brother Dusty in the group work at a machine shop and save money to hunt in Illinois. Their dad works overtime at a factory that builds military vehicles to pay for the annual trip. Friend Chad said he uses a Christmas club account at his bank to fund the getaway.

The archery and firearm hunting package cost them $2,500 each, state licensing another $800, roundtrip fuel about $100 each, and motel and food expenses added during their travel bring the total near $3,500 apiece. That's before processing meat from a deer they may harvest or having a taxidermed mount made.

And they plan to do it again next year.

'You save all year for it,' said Dusty, who has hunted here eight years.

Business management
Bob, a 60-year hunter, and wife Elaine are selling the experience as much as the hunt at Warren County Whitetails because any hunter will tell you he may not successfully harvest a deer during an outing. Through the last deer season, 67 percent of their hunters shot a deer, though some were not recovered. Eight of 10 hunters in their first firearm season this year harvested bucks.

The Lowrys have outfitted since 1996 and have become instructors at the annual Fee Hunting Workshop in Lewistown.

'When we started we were the only outfitter in the area. I know nine of them now,' Bob said. 'I would like to see more local landowner outfitters.'

That way the profits stay local. Eight outfitters from Abingdon, Gilson, Avon, Kirkwood and Roseville were registered with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as of Sept. 25. Some outfitters operate here from out of the area or out of state.

The Lowrys say successful outfitting businesses have people skills, access to huntable acres, a strong work ethic, organizational skills and deer management knowledge. Customers also need a place to sleep, bathe, eat and store equipment, whether at your home or a nearby hotel or restaurant.

They offer hunting packages for deer season in the fall and turkey season in the spring. Off-season activities include permitting, managing trails and food plots, trimming limbs for shooting lanes, obtaining contract signatures, setting payment schedules and completing outfitter applications for the state.

That's why every hunter likes to return. The hunters say they like the deer, good meals, success and hospitality. They have hunted out of campers and hotel rooms before. This is convenient and more hospitable.

Outfitting Business Grows
Nearly 100 more outfitters have registered in Illinois since the state began licensing them in 2003. Outfitters are state-licensed businesses that sell several-day hunting packages to hunters and provide services such as hunt guides, equipment, hunting advice and transportation to and from the field.

2007: 280

2006: 270

2005: 275

2004: 216

2003: 179

Area Outfitters
Eight outfitters are listed with the state as operating their business in Knox and/or Warren counties.

Backwoods Whitetails, Avon

Buckhorn Outfitters, Alma, Ga.

Carner Farms, Kirkwood

Corn Crib Outfitters, Abingdon

Ferris Woods Whitetail, Gilson

Performance Outdoors, Eagle, Colo.

Swan Creek Outfitters, South Elgin

Warren County Whitetails, Roseville

Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources

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